On September 8, the world once again marked International Literacy Day; a day that reminds us of the fundamental right of every human being to read and write. But in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have banned girls’ education through their decrees, this day has become less a celebration and more a reminder of silence and repression.

In a world where the doors of education are being closed one by one to girls, in a land where being a woman sometimes means silence and isolation, I, Fakhria Samandari, stand to tell the story of a woman who, out of suffering, created a mission; a woman who, in the heart of darkness, lit a lamp of hope for future generations.

The forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran is the most tragic and heartbreaking news we hear these days. Thousands of Afghans who had built their lives in Iran for years are now forced to leave their homes, jobs, and return to Afghanistan.

August 15 was not only the day our country surrendered to a terrorist group and our system collapsed, it was also the dark day when the dreams of millions of girls and women in Afghanistan were destroyed. It was the day the system fell, oppression and violence spread everywhere, and our country turned into a house of horror. Those whose hands were stained with the blood of thousands of innocents and who had no trace of humanity came to power.